LETISHA VAN DEN BERG MAKES IQSA HISTORY
In a landmark moment for South Africa’s quarrying and surface mining sector, Letisha van den Berg has been elected as the first female chairperson of the Institute of Quarrying South Africa. Her appointment signals not only a shift in leadership, but a broader transformation within an industry traditionally dominated by men. Wilhelm du Plessis spoke to her at the IQSA conference in Durban.
V an den Berg, who also serves as Director of ASPASA, steps into the role with a clear and pragmatic vision: to elevate the IQSA to international standards while strengthening skills development across the sector. She has emphasised the importance of aligning South Africa with global best practices, particularly in formalising qualifications for surface mining professionals and building a stronger, more recognised professional pipeline. Her predecessor, Jeremy Hunter-Smith, steered the IQSA through the difficult Covid-19 pandemic period and leaves the organisation in a strong position to move forward. At the core of her leadership agenda is a focus on people. Van den Berg has repeatedly highlighted the urgent need to address skills shortages - not only in traditional trades, but also in emerging areas such as digital technologies, automation and data-driven operations. She believes the Institute must play a leading role in creating awareness at school level, opening pathways into mining careers, and support- ing alternative qualification routes such as Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL). Her dual leadership roles at IQSA and ASPASA position her uniquely to bridge the gap between individual professional development and industry-wide growth. “IQSA represents the indi- vidual, while ASPASA represents the company,” she notes - an interplay she sees as essential for building a sustainable talent
From left: ASPASA Chairman, Collin Ramukhubathi; outgoing IQSA Chairman Jeremy Hunter- Smith and the new Chairperson, Letisha van den Berg.
pipeline that feeds directly into the needs of the sector. Van den Berg is equally candid about the challenges facing the industry. These include regulatory complexity, illegal mining, and the slow pace of permitting processes. Rather than simply criticising government, she advocates for col- laborative, solution-driven engage- ment - such as adopting risk-based approaches to streamline approv- als without compromising environ- mental standards. Transformation is another key theme. While she acknowledges the growing presence of women in mining, Van den Berg broadens the conversation to include youth participation and opportunities for people with disabilities. For her, meaningful inclusion means diver- sifying decision-making spaces and expanding access across all levels of the industry.
Looking ahead, she sees sig- nificant opportunity in infrastruc- ture development - provided that government unlocks supply chains and enables industry participation. At the same time, she is a strong proponent of ESG principles, par- ticularly the practical use of data to
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MODERN QUARRYING Quarter 2 | 2026
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